Lethem residents still waiting on generator fix

Lethem residents are still only receiving a limited amount of power as a part to fix the community’s non-functioning generator was not installed up to yesterday.

The part, which was in Georgetown, was sent back to Lethem and is expected to be installed today, a source close to the Lethem Power Company (LPC) said.

Since Sunday, the engine on the generator went down after the “exciter winding” on the engine started to “short.”  A smaller generator, which does not have the capacity to power the community, was pressed into service and has since been providing two five-hour periods of electricity to the community.

Residents of the border region have been repeatedly complaining of the power situation over the past several years. By the end of the year, two new generators should be installed to boost the power supply in the growing border township and a new facility will be constructed to replace the current flood-prone LPC office.